In its first big show since Triplemania in December, AAA presents Rey de Reyes this Saturday.
Rey de Reyes is one of AAA’s signature events and the last big show before Triplemania, which is expected to take place in front of a live crowd in August or September. Saturday’s show will emanate from a closed venue, and people can view it live on Space TV Mexico.
Outside of Mexico, this should be posted within a month on YouTube and Facebook. Unfortunately for wrestling fans, AAA is currently unable to stream its live shows in the United States. This is due to an ongoing lawsuit with Lucha Libre FMV, which owned Lucha Underground and was connected with Dorian Roldan, who is the General Director of AAA and whose family owns the company; Roldan had been one of LLFMV’s owners, but stepped away from the company. LLFMV claims it has permanent rights to AAA globally outside Mexico, which AAA disputes.
While neither Mega Champion Kenny Omega nor tag team champions Penta and Fenix are on the card, this will mark a pivotal night for AAA. Two new champions will be crowned, and the next constellation of stars will be revealed, as emerging talents like Laredo Kid, Hijo del Vikingo, Arez and Octagon Jr. further elevate themselves in the industry.
“We’re going to see the excitement and creativity of the AAA roster,” says Konnan, the wrestling star who is now AAA’s head of creative. “It’s not what American wrestling purists are used to; it’s different. It isn’t what you grew up watching. But if you like lucha, this is its home.”
The main event pits the team of Pagano and Psycho Clown against Chessman and a surprise partner, which is a continuation of the Pagano-Chessman feud that featured a Lucha de Apuestas hair vs. hair match that Pagano won.
“This is a no-DQ match, so expect chairs, tables, and honestly, everything else,” says Konnan. “Psycho and Pagano are two of our most popular talents, and they’re going to bring it. There will be a surprise in this match. You’re going to see a lot of surprises during the show. Our goal is always to overdeliver, and these surprises are going to be ones people won’t expect.”
The top secondary title in AAA is the Latin American Championship, which was held by Daga but had to be vacated due to travel issues regarding his citizenship in the United States. With Daga currently out of the title picture, there will be a triple threat featuring Octagon Jr., Taurus and a surprise opponent to crown a new champion.
The women’s championship was also vacated when the extremely talented Taya Valkyrie signed with WWE, where she now stars in NXT as Franky Monet. A six-women Reina de Reinas match will determine the new champ, one that includes Faby Apache, Lady Shani, Flammer, Chik Tormenta, Lady Maravilla and a mystery opponent.
“One of the surprises will be someone you recognize from the United States,” says Konnan. “These women are our future stars, and Faby is one of the best secrets in the business.”
There are plenty of high stakes at Rey de Reyes, including an eight-man Rey de Reyes match. This is similar to WWE’s King of the Ring tournament from the mid-90s, where the winner gets a real push, as well as given a sword as a prize. And the match is overflowing with talent, featuring Hijo del Vikingo, Laredo Kid, Texano Jr., Murder Clown, Aerostar, Drago, Abismo Negro Jr. and Myzteziz Jr.
“This match, with the sword and where the winner goes from here, it’s a big deal,” says Konnan. “And Vikingo is going to be a breakout star, as will Laredo Kid, who is our cruiserweight champion.”
Confusion has persisted over who possesses the cruiserweight title, as Lio Rush defeated Laredo Kid on an episode of MLW’s Fusion that aired in February. Despite the loss, AAA still views Laredo Kid as champ. He will be wrestling Rush at AAW’s Take No Prisoners iPPV in Merrionette Park, Ill., on May 7. It will stream on FITE TV, where he may add some clarity to the title scene with a victory. He will also have a new challenger emerge from the five-way at Rey de Reyes that features Dinastia, Toxin, Aramis, Latigo and Arez.
“The winner of this will get a chance at Laredo Kid and the Cruiserweight Championship,” says Konnan, who hints that there will be video promos that further enhance this match. “These five guys, I’d put them up against any young guy in any company. This will be a really good match, and it’s going to open the card in a hot manner, which is a staple of our shows.”
Arez and Hijo del Vikingo delivered a showing in March that was an instant candidate for match of the year, and this show is another opportunity to prove why they will be massive stars in the industry. Laredo Kid has also drawn considerable interest from AEW, and watching his progression will be a joy for wrestling fans. With an infiltration of lucha already embedded in mainstream American wrestling, Rey de Reyes will showcase the future of the industry.
“This is lucha libre, which is different from American wrestling,” says Konnan. “If people watch this with an open mind, they’re going to be amazed. It will be a night of surprises and great matches. The surprises start today. We’ll have another show in July, and then all these surprises will culminate at Triplemania.
“We’ve missed performing, so this is a chance to say we’ve missed you and welcome back. We’re still the company that overdelivers, keeps discovering new stars and refuses to rest on its laurels. It’s more colorful and less PG than WWE. I’m a big fan of making it Rated R, and that type of action and those surprises will be evident at Rey de Reyes.”
Justin Barrasso can be reached at . Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
